[Maillist] Background on Regional Visioning Survey
Bill Monroe
HT2 at austin.rr.com
Thu Oct 9 09:20:12 EDT 2003
Liveable City E-Mail NewsletterFolks,
The positions taken herein are not an endorsement by JHNA, but a way to stay informed as you prepare to submit your survey opinion.
Sincerely,
Bill Monroe
----- Original Message -----
From: info at liveablecity.org
To: newsletter at lists.liveablecity.org
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2003 11:29 AM
Subject: The Regional Visioning Survey Has Started!
Don't Forget - The Regional Visioning Survey Starts October 6! Take it Online at www.envisioncentraltexas.org!
October 8, 2003
No Way on Scenario A!
Reasons to Oppose Scenario A:
. Billions More Expensive
. Paves the Aquifer
. Longer Commutes/More Air Pollution
You Decide How We Shape our Future: The Regional Visioning Survey
Liveable City strongly encourages you to participate in the Envision Central Texas (ECT) survey process that will run from now until October 26 so that you can help decide what our region looks like over the next few decades.
Liveable City is independent of ECT, but believes that the Regional Visioning Survey is vitally important: The visioning survey will begin, for the first time in Central Texas, a public regional discussion about growth.
This newsletter contains a brief overview of the survey process, followed by Liveable City's analysis of and perspective on the ECT survey.
Please share this newsletter with your family, friends and neighbors.
The ECT Survey
The Region Visioning Survey is available online at envisioncentraltexas.org as well as on the back two pages of a newspaper insert that explains the scenarios, the process, and future growth issues. The insert will be distributed in the Austin American Statesman, the Austin Chronicle and many other community papers around October 9.
The 17-question survey is divided into two parts. The first 7 questions of the ECT survey compare four alternative scenarios for accommodating an additional 1.25 Million people in Central Texas. Developed from public workshops held last fall, the four scenarios project different future land use and transportation growth patterns.
The second part, on the back page of the newspaper insert, asks your attitudes about issues concerning the future, including population, jobs, social equity, and retaining the character of rural and urban communities. The survey is printed to fold and mail back to ECT by October 26. The on-line version also needs to be completed by that date.
The Scenarios
A brief description of each of the scenarios is provided below. For a more in-depth look, go to envisioncentraltexas.org. ECT has not named the scenarios but Liveable City has given a descriptive "nickname" to each of the four to make them more memorable.
Click to view map
Scenario A - Sprawl City: The Current Growth Pattern
This scenario projects the past ten year growth trends into their likely implications 20 to 40 years ahead. With little redevelopment, Central Texas continues to sprawl rapidly outward in all directions, consuming a large number of undeveloped acres of agricultural and aquifer land. Housing is primarily single-family homes, while the transportation network continues to be automobile-oriented with a commuter rail line. Average trip length and time are longer than in the other scenarios. New jobs in the region are concentrated in Travis County.
Click to view map
Scenario B - Roadside City: Growth Surrounding Major Highways
This scenario consolidates growth within one mile of the IH-35 and SH-130 road corridors. More mixed-use development than Scenario A and reinvestment allows commuter rail and Bus Rapid Transit while conserving more undeveloped land and the sensitive aquifer zone than Scenario A. Most housing would still be single-family homes.
Click to view map
Scenario C - Bigger Cities/New Towns: Growth in New Towns & Existing Cities
This pattern focuses growth in new and existing towns across the region. More mixed-use development and reinvestment than Scenario B allows commuter rail and Bus Rapid Transit with a streetcar system in Austin, which conserves more undeveloped land than Scenarios A and B. This conserves the most aquifer zone of any Scenario. Employment distribution and diversity of housing are greater than in A and B.
Click to view map
Scenario D - Compact City: Growth in Existing Towns and Cities
In this possible future, the highest degree of infill and reinvestment is concentrated in the existing Travis County urban core. It consumes the least amount of undeveloped land, with little aquifer zone affected. Scenario D offers the greatest housing and transportation options including commuter rail, Bus Rapid Transit and light rail.
For more information on the ECT Scenarios, visit www.envisioncentraltexas.org.
Liveable City's Analysis
Scenario A is completely inconsistent with what we have heard from the community. It is extremely expensive, paves more than twice as much aquifer and agricultural land as other scenarios, and results in the longest commute times. With jobs centered in Travis county, and housing sprawling throughout the region, it is the direct opposite of the "urban village" approach that we will advocate (see below).
Scenario B is less expensive than Scenario A and consumes less open space. However, we are concerned that it ultimately would result in the kind of sprawl seen in Scenario A.
Scenarios C and D represent a shift in direction from current trends. Scenarios C and D are similar in that both would allow for more housing and transportation options, permit people to live near their workplaces, and lead to walkable/bikable communities.
The big difference is that Scenario D puts virtually all of the growth in currently developed cities. In contrast, Scenario C creates new towns in undeveloped areas. As a result, Scenario D is lowest in land use and air pollution, but adds the greatest amount of density to existing neighborhoods; Scenario C preserves the greatest amount of aquifer land.
Liveable City's Vision/Core Concepts
Liveable City has conducted two community surveys, one assessing Austinite's views on creating a livable city, and one examining their views on the economy. Click here to view Liveable City's past survey results.
The following core concepts for livability emerged from these two surveys:
1. Affordable housing.
2. A better transportation system, with a range of transportation options, including improved road systems, rail and bikeways.
3. A clean environment, including protection of the aquifer.
4. Fair public investment policies that do not favor one group at the expense of another and that keep taxes as low as possible
5. Equitable job distribution around the city region
6. Policies that support independent local business
7. Policies that support the human side of quality of life - education, health care, equity, and feeling safe in one's community.
Moreover, many Austinites believe that recent growth trends have had negative impacts on taxpayers and the community, and they want policies that will lead to growth at a slower rate.
Livability derives from the interaction of these qualities; none of these alone is sufficient, and the exclusive promotion of one at the expense of others will be detrimental to livability.
An "Urban Village" Approach
Liveable City believes that the community core concepts can best be achieved through an "Urban Village" approach to development, in which cities are made up of neighborhood communities, each containing a mixture of housing options and businesses embedded within the community.
Such an approach could lead to housing affordability through the mixture of housing choices, reduced commute times through job distribution, and transportation options through the integration of business and residential areas; additionally, that integration provides an excellent environment for local businesses.
The reduced reliance on automobiles and the shortened commute times would help to promote a cleaner environment and, because this type of development would be denser than current trends, it could avoid the sensitive aquifer areas. Infrastructure development costs would be lower than under current trends, thus benefiting taxpayers, and tax revenues would be distributed more equitably around the city.
An urban village approach to development could promote a greater interconnectedness among community members, leading to a greater sense of safety. Different neighborhood communities could have distinct characters, which also would contribute to the human side of quality of life.
A Few Words About Density
One key issue in our future is increasing density in existing neighborhoods and towns. Density can become a problem without intelligent and appropriate design. ECT provides scenarios that show a general trend in population growth, offering alternative solutions to accommodate growth, but does not state exactly where increases in density will occur, nor does it define what form increases in density would take. The livability and character of the community can be preserved and enhanced if neighborhoods determine the specific ways in which the density increases within their communities are addressed, e.g., through neighborhood plans and other planning tools.
Scenarios in Relation to Core Concepts for Livability
The following matrix shows how each of the scenarios compares to the others on the Community Core Concepts. (Note that these terms are comparing scenarios to one another, not to the current situation.)
Scenario A Scenario B Scenario C Scenario D
Urban Village Least Least Most Moderate
Transit Options Least Least Moderate Most
Open Space Least Some Moderate* Most
Increase in Central Austin Density Least Some Some Most
Commute Time Highest High Moderate Lowest
Housing Choices Least Least Moderate Most
*This scenario preserves the greatest amount of aquifer land.
Don't Let Others Decide the Future Without You!
Take the Regional Vision Survey Starting NOW - This October 6-26!
Look for the Insert in the Austin American-Statesman, Austin Chronicle, and other papers on October 9, or take the survey anytime from October 9 through October 26 at www.envisioncentraltexas.org.
Table of Contents
. You Decide How We Shape Our Future: The Regional Visioning Survey
. The ECT Survey
. Important ECT Dates
. The Scenarios
. Scenario A - Sprawl City: The Current Growth Trend
. Scenario B - Roadside City: Growth Around Major Highways
. Scenario C - Bigger Cities/New Towns: Growth in New Towns & Existing Cities
. Scenario D - Compact City: Growth in Existing Cities & Towns
. Liveable City's Analysis
. Liveable City's Vision/Core Concepts
. An "Urban Village" Approach
. A Few Words About Density
. Scenarios in Relationship to Liveable City's Core Concepts
. Why is ECT Important?
. What Are ECT's Limitations?
. A Short Review of the ECT Process
. A Few Key Questions to Consider
. Will the Survey Results be Implemented?
We Want to Keep Working on Critical Issues in Austin With Your Help.
Join Liveable City today.
Important ECT Dates
. October 6, 2003
Beginning of Regional Visioning Survey period.
. October 9 2003
Regional Visioning Survey in Austin American-Statesman, Austin Chronicle, and other local papers.
. October 26, 2003
Last day of Regional Visioning Survey period.
. January 2004
"Community Vision Scenario" based on survey results, presented to ECT board.
Distribute the Survey to Your Organization
If you or your organization, church, or neighborhood group would like to distribute the survey to your members, contact Brian at 481-8400.
A Short Review of the ECT Process
Envision Central Texas (ECT) is a five county regional visioning process created to build a consensus vision for future land use and transportation planning in our region. Designed to address the 1.25 million additional people that are projected to live in Central Texas during the next 20 to 40 years, ECT is working to preserve and enhance the regionís quality of life. The non-profit organization has representatives from many stakeholder groups including business, environmental, neighborhood, and rural communities from Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties.
For more information visit the Envision Central Texas web site.
A Few Key Questions to consider in the October ECT Regional Visioning Survey
. Why build a transportation system that doesn't reduce your overall time spent in traffic?
. How will the issues of social equity be affected by future growth?
. Which scenarios have the transportation options you want for your future?
. What are the implications of increased density on existing neighborhoods?
. Which scenarios preserve the character of rural communities and land over aquifers?
. How will the infrastructure costs of new development affect the future affordability of our region?
. Are Central Texans ready to develop a regional view?
. What tradeoffs are we willing to make to have the community quality of life we deserve?
We Need Your Help!
Liveable City Needs Volunteers to help make sure Austinites take the Regional Visioning Survey. Volunteer today at 481-8400 or email us at brian at liveablecity.org
Need More Surveys?
Need surveys for friends, neighbors, church group or community organizations? Call us at 481-8400 or brian at liveablecity.org or take the survey online at
www.envisioncentraltexas.org.
Why is ECT important?
. Provides choice among several interesting new directions
. For the first time, we have numbers, concrete indicators going out 20 years that describe the impact of projected growth on pollution, traffic and land use
. For the first time we have a regional growth discussion with a large group of people from 5 counties involved
. ECT takes large problems and breaks them down so we can see them and digest them.
. ECT is about implications. We can see the implications not just of what we ARE doing, but the implications of three other approaches also.
. We can express our preferences without having to vote for a candidate or a bond package. It is more all-encompassing than that.
What are ECT's limitations?
. No information of the region's actual carrying capacity or ability to absorb growth.
. Incomplete quantification of the actual dollar costs of each scenario, including the current patterns.
. No scenarios that are based on different population growth projections - all the analysis is based on explosive growth.
. Serious limitations in transportation analysis. An over-reliance on roads and modest transit system. No numbers about what it will cost to provide an adequate transportation network for the region that actually reduces congestion.
. Little if any analysis of equity issues.
. No analysis of growth impacts on water resources.
. Not enough focus on important cultural identity for the region as a whole and for specific neighborhoods.
. Not enough focus on the human dimension of the future such as health care, education, and connection between people and communities.
Overall, LC believes that ECT has delivered a great deal of very valuable information that will be used for years to come. This information and the chance to discuss its implications on our Region is the primary benefit of ECT.
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